The End Game
by Danzinora Switch
Summary: "Bones…" Kirk trailed, concerned. "I don't want to talk about it," McCoy snapped, and stalked out of the transporter room.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so I told myself 'No more fanfiction until you finish your video'. However, I'm ahead on all my schoolwork and quite BORED. So I've started another story because it's easier to get permission to work on a Word Document than an editing program. Surprise treat, y'all! Just an unfinished idea I've got bouncing around- we'll see where this goes. I don't own Star Trek.**

* * *

"Uhura! Status of the landing party!"

"No response from any members of landing party, sir. At least two communicators have been damaged!"

"Demetrian bombardment continuing, Captain! Ground forces moving in!"

"Scotty, get more power to communications and sensors; start beaming up the landing party as soon as you locate them."

"Aye, sir!"

"Bio-sensors locate H'rd Xalen, Captain. Condition unknown."

"Beam him up! Sickbay; emergency medical team to the transporter room. Stand by for possible casualties."

"Demetrian bombardment has ceased, Captain! Forces pulling out."

"Mr. Spock, what's the status of Pentarii?"

"H'rd Xalen has beamed aboard, sir."

"Demolished buildings and rubble strewn about. The people appear to be fine shape."

"Yes, but what about our people?"

"Lieutenants Gordon and Douglas have beamed aboard, sir. Emergency medical team is taking Douglas into surgery."

"That still leaves three unaccounted for. Mr. Sulu, status!"

"Demetrian forces are moving back to Vilsa."

"Scan for human life forms stat! Before they get under the dampening field!"

"Sensors locate one form, Captain."

"Beam him up!"

"Nurse Radner has beamed aboard."

"The Demetrians have moved under the dampening field, Captain."

"Scotty, analysis on the dampening field."

"Affects only sensors. Someone could walk in, and we can still use the transporter. We just can't detect who we'll beam out."

"Captain, the Nekati report finding one of our own. He's in critical condition."

"Locate it, Lieutenant, and beam him up!"

"Nekati forces from the woods advancing upon Vilsa, Captain."

"What are the odds of their chances, Spock?"

"They seem to be storming the city."

"Uhura, who beamed aboard?"

"Lieutenant Axel, sir. He's being prepped for surgery."

"That still leaves Bones. Spock, locate Dr. McCoy!"

"Scans of Pentarii reveal no trace. The dampening field around Vilsa is still in effect."

"Nekati forces retreating from Vilsa, Captain! A few explosions in the city."

"Demetrian forces are not pursuing them."

"Sir! The Nekati report having located Dr. McCoy!"

"Beam him up at once!" Kirk surged out of his seat. "Spock, you have the conn. Sulu, keep monitoring the events of the planet."

"Aye sir!"

"If another attack happens I want to be told at once!" Kirk entered the turbolift and rushed for the transporter room. Mr. Kyle was at the controls when he entered. "Isn't he aboard yet?"

"Coming sir," Kyle said, frantically working the controls.

A form wavered on the transporter pad. Kirk held his breath. What state would the doctor be in? The figure shimmered gold, and then solidified into the scowling doctor. His blue eyes blazed fury and his arms were crossed tightly across his chest.

"Bones…" Kirk trailed, concerned.

"I _don't_ want to talk about it," McCoy snapped, and stalked out of the transporter room.

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**A/N: This little idea started out very small in that semi-conscious state right before sleep (or I dreamed it, I can't tell). It was just Kirk, concerned/worried, and McCoy beaming aboard mad and stalking away with the words 'I don't want to talk about it'. I figured that was enough and started speculating on the surrounding events. Now I've got enough material to write a story on (even if I don't know the ending- yet). Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. That's a lot of reviews in a short amount of time. Thank you all, I'm glad that you're interested, but I'm starting to wonder what I've gotten myself into. I'm still trying to finish my video, so this particular story is more of an 'on-the-side' job. **

**Anyways, thanks y'all again for reviewing. 2trek, I have heeded your words and am posting chapter 2. Minecraft Guardiansaiyan, I know how much you love K/S/Mc friendship. There's a little bit of that in here. Enjoy!**

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Spock had been surveying the events on the planet ever since Kirk returned to the bridge. Things were quiet. The civil war that had been raging on Shekk had calmed down in the area where they were concentrating their attention. Both sides- Demetrian and Nekati- seemed to have drawn back to lick their wounds. The yellow alert faded and reports on the situation were coming in.

Except for Sickbay's. The report on injuries had yet to be submitted. Spock knew well enough to give it extra time- surgery could draw out, or they were busy with the medical supplies for the planet- but Uhura reported that both Douglas and Axel were out of surgery and stable hours ago. Where was the report?

Spock didn't know what state Dr. McCoy was in. He wasn't injured, but the captain had returned to the bridge with his brow creased in worry. Deciding to check on the doctor himself (as well as locate the report) Spock excused himself from the bridge to pay a visit to Sickbay.

He entered the main of Sickbay and walked back to the post-op section. McCoy had his back to him, scrutinizing the readouts of Axel's condition. He stayed like that for a long time. Spock found it necessary to clear his throat.

McCoy jumped about two feet in the air. "Jesus, Spock! Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I apologize, Doctor. I am here inquiring about the medical report."

"Oh, yeah, yeah that." McCoy left Axel's side and crossed the room to a computer terminal. His movements seemed slightly more agitated and jerky. "It's not finished- I got about half of it done before I checked back up on Axel and Douglas."

"When do you estimate it will be completed?"

He looked at it. "Well, only a couple of hours unless you keep showing up making me jump out of my skin."

The quip didn't seem to hold much meaning. It was more of an off-the-shoulder comment, barely any real thought behind it. Spock regarded the doctor. He had a haggard appearance, and looked exhausted. Spock figured it was from working hard to set up medical stations down on the planet, followed by an unexpected attack, followed by long hours in surgery. His jumpiness, however, could not be explained.

"Very well, Doctor. There is also your report of the events on the planet."

McCoy's head snapped up. "Have the others turned in theirs already?"

"All but you and the two injured crewmembers."

The doctor's demeanor suddenly changed. "You'll get it," he said coldly.

"When shall I expect-"

"You'll _get it_, Spock," McCoy growled icily. He jabbed a finger at the computer. "As soon as I'm done writing this damned report!"

Spock could hardly process his sudden vehemence. While the doctor was a very emotional being, most of his mood changes could be traced to the conversation or events. The inexplicable shift from edginess to concealed anger was most odd. He would need more data.

Murmuring something, Spock withdrew his presence. In order to collect the data he needed, he knew exactly where to look and whom to talk to.

* * *

"Captain, here are the ship's forms for you to sign, including the medical report on Lieutenants Axel and Douglas."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock," Kirk said, idly wondering why the Vulcan was delivering them himself, instead of Rand.

"The eyewitness reports have been filled out by all personnel down on the planet during the attack except for the injured crewmembers and Dr. McCoy."

"Bones, eh?" Kirk commented, flipping through them. He bit his lip, trying not to think of _why_ the doctor had yet to tell his story.

"Indeed." Spock hesitated. "Captain, from viewing and correlating the reports, we know that Dr. McCoy and Nurse Radner were both taken prisoner by the invading Demetrian forces. We managed to beam Radner aboard before they reached Vilsa; the doctor was only rescued during the Nekati counterattack."

"That is true, Spock…" Kirk didn't like where this was going. He got a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Captain…" Again, Spock hesitated. "What was he like, when he came aboard?"

Kirk considered. "Mad. That kind of pent-up anger you get over something you can't change. And he was tense, as in _really_ tense. He wouldn't say why, just snapped at me and left."

Spock nodded slowly. "That tension was still prevalent when I visited him in Sickbay. He also grew- angry- when I brought up the subject of his report." Spock inclined his head towards the stack.

They stayed silent for a few moments. "You don't suppose…" Kirk trailed suddenly. "That something happened down there?"

Spock resisted the urge to point out that a number of things had happened. "Unknown," he said instead. "It could very well be nothing of concern. Yet his countenance is somewhat outside his normal parameters."

"He's unusually wound-up," Kirk reiterated.

"Indeed."

Kirk gave a quick, business-like sigh. "Okay. We can go about this in two ways. Either we can get Bones to talk about it, or we can start piecing things together for ourselves."

Spock considered the options. "Do you want the easy path or the harder path?"

Kirk grinned weakly. "Spock, you know I'm always up for a challenge."

"Agreed."

Without a word, they both turned and headed for Sickbay.

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**I considered having more for this chapter, but I'm bumping to the next because I like this ending. I hope it wasn't too boring..**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, y'all. I considered breaking this into two chapters, but decided to lump it together. It should hold y'all over some. I neglected my video today to work on this (and I had to make dinner; considering the next section of my vid I have to work on, I want a full day to do it). Anyways, I'm really surprised at how popular this story's turning out to be. Boredom apparently yields incredible results. Wow...**

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McCoy rummaged about his office. He straightened, organized, and properly placed every little thing. Except for his liquor cabinet. He stubbornly refused to go near it while he was still so unbalanced.

Chapel had noticed his sudden take on cleanliness. While everything had been in order, if not neat, he was finding every little nitpick and fixing it. Mostly, he was staying busy to avoid the planet report. Oh, he'd started writing it. He talked about the medical centers being set up in Pentarii, as well as the cases presented to him during his time down there. But after that he couldn't go on. Not just yet. He figured that in a day or two he'd be alright. He'd calm down, write the report to Spock's ludicrously high standards, and they'd all get on with their lives. Viewed objectively, it wasn't _that_ bad… he'd been through worse dozens of times. Sometimes Jim and/or Spock had been there… sometimes it was by himself.

So why did this one have him jumping at every little sound?

_Because your nerves are shot, _he grumbled to himself. Then he winced. _Bad choice of words, McCoy…_

"Doctor?"

He jerked again and cursed himself for it. "Yes, Nurse?" he said professionally. He worked to get his thudding heart to calm.

"Mr. Spock and the captain are here to see you," Chapel said.

McCoy sucked in a discreet breath. But he knew this was coming. There were times he wished his friends didn't know him so well.

"Very well, send them in."

Kirk and Spock appeared at his door and stepped inside. McCoy glanced at them. "Spock, I know you want that report, but did you have to call the captain on me?"

They weren't amused. "Bones," Kirk began. "Is everything alright?"

His half-smile vanished. "With the supplies, the natives, or with me?"

Kirk saw right through his obvious stalling. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk. "With you."

McCoy surveyed the small room. "Well, I about broke my back in surgery, and the sudden bombing probably took a few years off my life, but otherwise I'm alright."

"You were not injured?" Spock clarified.

"No."

Kirk frowned inwardly. It seemed that that had held a note of… distaste in it. He knew McCoy had a martyr complex like themselves (though he wouldn't admit it) but the doctor always counted his blessings whenever they came back alive.

On the other hand, that unusual anger seemed to be gone.

"Then there is no reason for the delay in submitting the report," Spock continued.

McCoy fought to keep his temper down. He was still trying to process the events and the Vulcan wanted a damn _report_. There was a war raging on the planet below and he and the captain were hounding him about a _paper_.

"Mr. Spock," he said coldly, catching Kirk's attention with the icy professionalism. "Your _report_ is coming, but right now I'm in the middle of overseeing medical supplies getting shipped to the surface. We're _supposed_ to be setting up stations and improving hospitals on Shekk. Now, due to an unexpected delay, we're behind on that. So if you will excuse me, I'm going to make sure everything is ready to beam down so we can pick up where we left off." He shrugged past them but Kirk caught his arm.

"Doctor, what happened?" he said in a harder tone.

McCoy jerked himself free. "You're going to have to be more specific, Jim." Without another word he strode determinedly out of Sickbay.

* * *

"Well, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I figured it would've gone better than _that_." Kirk rubbed his brow.

"He seems to become unusually guarded whenever the subject of the events on the planet come up," Spock observed.

Chapel entered the office. "Any luck?"

"No, nothing," Kirk answered automatically. Then he realized that Chapel shouldn't know what they had seen Bones for. "Why?"

"Well, _something_'s obviously bothering him," she said. "Since getting out of surgery he's either been high-strung or seething about something. He's been doing a bunch of odd little things around Sickbay to stay busy."

_That_ was a definite sign that something was bothering the doctor. Spock seemed about to say something when the comm whistled. "Bridge to Captain Kirk."

"Kirk here," he said, tapping the button on the wall.

"Captain, the Nekati are hailing us," Uhura relayed.

He glanced at Spock. "I'll take it in my quarters, Lieutenant. Kirk out." He hit the button again and looked at his first officer. "Mr. Spock, if you will accompany me."

The two men left to go talk with the eyewitnesses on the planet.

* * *

"…the bombs didn't hit anything too important and treatment for the injured is already well underway. I must say that those medical centers are absolutely splendid! They're providing much-needed relief."

"I'm glad to hear it," Kirk said to the Nekati on the screen. He was an impromptu leader of the survivors in Pentarii. "Some more shipments are scheduled to beam down shortly, Joxap."

Joxap grinned. "Oh, fantastic. But I was wondering when your people would be returning to the planet?"

Kirk glanced at Spock. "Perhaps with the shipment."

"Oh, yes. By the way, is everyone alright? I am aware that you had some injured."

"Dr. McCoy informs us that they are recovering nicely with no expected complications."

"Good, good," Joxap said. He noticed the two Starfleet men exchange glances. "Is something the matter?"

"Joxap," Spock began. "Are you aware of the conditions in which McCoy was found?"

Joxap frowned. "I know Carimend's forces pulled him out of a holding cell. He and Shiak's body were found in it. Why, is something wrong?"

"Don't know. He's been acting a little strange- whose body?"

"Shiak's. He was a fair warrior; very much believed in our cause. We buried him outside the city."

"How did he die?" Spock asked.

Joxap grimaced. "Shot in the head. I never got to see McCoy after they stormed Vilsa- is he alright?"

"Uninjured, but again, acting oddly. Joxap, could Mr. Spock and I beam down this round? I understand the diplomatic complications-"

"Oh, of course, of course, Captain. We should keep you covered. After all, it's the Demetrians that had objections to any personnel other than medical teams. But if you do want to talk more _privately_," he glanced around. "That would be best."

"Very well. We will see you shortly."

"Agreed. I do hope the doctor is alright. Those centers are just fantastic! Did I mention? I shall ask around and glean what information I can. Perhaps I can locate Carimend for you to speak with."

"That would be very helpful," Spock said.

"Thank you, Joxap. _Enterprise_ out." Kirk cut the transmission and looked at Spock. "Well, at least we're getting somewhere, now."

"Indeed."

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**For the record, I _do_ know what happened on the planet. I know lots of things... the ending of this story ain't one of them. But we'll find out together! (hopefully) Thanks for the reviews, everybody (13 in two chapters... whoa.)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, I'm certainly glad y'all are enjoying this! I'm happy to keep everyone in suspense, though the reveal may come later than I thought. Nevertheless, enjoy this chapter! I don't own Star Trek-throughout this whole story in case I didn't mention it earlier.**

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McCoy felt better the next morning. He felt more at ease, though he still got ticked off whenever he thought about-

He gritted his teeth. The insolence! No matter, once he gets to work he'll be able to put it out of his mind. They were returning to the planet Shekk today to resume with the distribution of medical supplies.

McCoy strode to the transporter room checking over a PADD. He maneuvered around crates and anti-gravs and stopped at the base of the platform. He looked up.

Kirk and Spock were in beaming positions.

McCoy blinked.

"Hi, Bones!"

"Hiya, Jim," he said cautiously. "They lifted the 'medical personnel only' restriction?"

"Yep."

He nodded slowly. "Okay." He joined them on the transporter pads.

"Energize," Kirk said.

* * *

Pentarii was a standard city on the planet. Vilsa was exceptional because dampening fields were the cutting edge of technology on Shekk. When the three men materialized, they beheld buildings and roadways that would have been right at home on Earth.

Had they not been bombed.

Despite the jagged holes and busted windows of the buildings, its inhabitants kept an upbeat mood. Joxap greeted them warmly, shaking hands.

"Dr. McCoy! Good to have you back. And Captain Kirk! Mr. Spock! Lovely that you could come down. I know, it's not much to look at now, but once the front moves on elsewhere we'll get this place back into shape!"

"At least most buildings are still intact," Kirk commented.

"Oh yes, oh yes. Doctor, the hospital wasn't hit if you want to see it."

"Thank you," McCoy said, and then turned his attention to the crates that were beaming down. A few other citizens went to help him and things quickly became busy. Joxap drew Kirk and Spock away.

"I've located Carimend, Captain," he said in a low voice. "In case you still want to talk to him."

"Thank you, Joxap. Mr. Spock? I think we'll make that our first order of business."

Joxap led them through the city to a camp outside its boundaries. They entered a tent and a man turned. He had dark black hair and black mustache.

"Carimend, these are Captain Kirk and Officer Spock," Joxap introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you Captain, Officer," he shook their hands.

"You as well… do you have a rank?"

Carimend smiled. "Yes. I believe it translates to… Admiral, in your system."

Kirk realized that he didn't have much to go on. They used naval terms on the _Enterprise_, whereas Carimend was obviously in charge of some ground troops. He looked the equivalent of a Colonel, or a Major. Kirk decided not to quibble.

"Very well, Admiral."

Carimend sat back and Joxap excused himself. "Now, you have some questions for me?"

"Yes." Kirk moved a little bit in the tent, gathering his thoughts. "I am aware that you still want this to remain a Shekk conflict, and that you are only accepting medical aid from the Federation. Therefore, I am not going to pump you for information about the layout of Vilsa, or anything like that for war reasons."

"Then what do you intend to ask me?" Carimend said dryly.

Kirk turned on his heel. "We are a bit concerned for one of our officers; the one you found in Vilsa."

"The doctor," he clarified.

"Yes. Do you know if anything may have… happened… while he was there."

Carimend considered. "Have you asked him?"

"It was not fruitful," Spock said.

He nodded slowly. "Nothing I can think of. He wasn't there very long. No Demetrian was with them, they were alone."

"They?"

"The doctor and Shiak. He was part of the Pentarii militia. When we stormed the holding area we opened every cell. They were in isolation; no windows or anything, though there was light. Shiak was chained up to the left wall, he was dead. Shot between the eyes, nothing else seemed to have killed him. McCoy was in the same position, chained against the back wall, but he seemed alright."

"Physically or mentally?" Kirk silently thanked Spock's clarification.

Carimend frowned. "He was a little jumpy when we opened the door. Course, we were barging in with guns and whatnot, that would make anyone nervous. We told him who we were, he told us who he was in return, we sprung him and got the hell out of there."

"Did he seem angry, at all?"

"Not, not at first… seemed a bit shaken. His mood just got darker, though." He leveled his gaze at Kirk. "Look, I understand what it means to be caring, but I also know when a man may just need a little space to work things out in his head. It's very likely Shiak was shot in front of him. There's no cure for that, you've just got to come to terms with it. He may just need time."

"We agree, Admiral," Kirk said. "Unfortunately, McCoy's usual remedy is to stay busy and put such things behind him."

Carimend visibly winced. "Yeah, that's not healthy. A doctor should know that, but they _do_ make the worst patients. I'm afraid I don't know anything else, gentlemen."

"Thank you, Admiral. It may still do some good." The man rose and saluted them. Spock and Kirk returned the gestures. They then exited the tent.

"Well, Spock, we still don't know everything," Kirk mused.

"True, Captain. But we know more than we did."

"Yes." He looked back towards the city. "Well, let's make ourselves useful while we're still here. See what the city needs us to do."

Kirk and Spock mostly found themselves working with the hospital, since aid was mainly restricted to medical. Their main job involved watching post-op and bringing in wounded that were still found among the rubble. Occasionally they would see McCoy buzz from patient to patient, lost in the world of medical readings and surgery.

"My back feels broken," Kirk commented as they took a short break. He stretched with a mighty groan. "Makes me appreciate Sickbay more than ever."

"Agreed, Captain," Spock said, but was overrun by some commotion outside. The disturbance grew louder and they found themselves running outside. McCoy suddenly appeared at their heels as they tore to where several Nekati were speaking animatedly.

"What's going on?" Kirk asked instantly.

A nurse turned to him. "There's a Demetrian delegation outside the city," she said breathlessly. "They say they're under a flag of truce and want to speak with the Starfleet men."

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**I'm not sure how much of this is going to be adventure and how much of this is going to be H/C. Because of that, the story genres may change when I'm done with this. Just warnin' y'all.**

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I should warn you though, I'm almost at the end of my rope. Meaning that what half-formed ideas I had for this have almost all been written. (zones out) Okay, I might have a few more now. We'll see. Enjoy!**

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Joxap had apparently given a call that sent all the Nekati scurrying for the buildings. Carimend and a few of his men were already speaking with the Demetrian delegation, where one carried a white flag. The Admiral did not seem pleased.

"What's going on here?" Kirk asked cautiously as they pulled up.

A Demetrian turned towards him and flashed a bright smile. "Ah, the starship Captain! Hello, it is very nice to meet you at last."

Kirk inclined his head but never took his eyes off the man. He was as charming as a snake.

The Demetrian turned to Carimend. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Carimend seemed livid but squelched it down. "Captain, this is Tornilv, in charge of the forces in Vilsa. And some of his cohorts."

Tornilv clucked his tongue. "I believe you mean, some of my _comrades_. I don't call your men conspirators."

"I'm Captain James Kirk and these are my men, First Officer Spock and Doctor McCoy," Kirk cut in before it could get out of hand. "What do you want?"

Tornilv licked his lips. "I want to be sure that the Federation's 'neutral party' isn't playing favorites."

"Favorites? Because we're in Pentarii?"

"Yes," he said smoothly.

"If you require medical aid we will provide it," Kirk said seriously, glancing at McCoy. Then he had to look back for a moment.

McCoy's expression chilled him like it always did. It was the one seen on the planet when they were held by Klingons, when the Capellans killed Grant, and when they'd transported into the parallel universe. Kirk hated it, because it was so _blank_. He was just waiting, watching to see what would happen to them next. It was like trying to decide whether to fight or fly. Kirk only saw it in situations where danger was confirmed.

But there was no danger here, was there?

"Truthfully," Tornilv was saying. He was extremely suave. "Since seeing some Starfleet personnel walking around, we have decided that this would be an excellent opportunity to discuss terms."

"Terms for what?" Carimend spat.

Tornilv looked at him. "Armistice."

Clearly not expecting that, Carimend shut his mouth.

The Demetrian turned his cool, indifferent gaze back to the captain. "Would you be so kind as to mediate, Captain?"

After a shared look with Spock (McCoy wasn't quite looking at anyone) Kirk nodded. He held out a hand in a general gesture. "Lead the way."

Tornilv grinned (it was like shark teeth, Kirk thought) and his delegation started for Carimend's camp. The rest of them fell into step behind them. As Tornilv joined his _comrades_, he cast a smug grin back over his shoulder and made a clicking sound in his throat.

Behind them, McCoy jerked violently backwards into Spock. "Sonuva…" he whispered. Spock reached out a hand to steady him but he pulled away, clenching his fists as a shadow of dark anger passed over his face.

For the first time, Spock wondered how much of McCoy's mysterious seething was self-directed.

McCoy, for his part, was chastising his overreaction. But that S.O.B. wouldn't get to scare him like that again.

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**Suspense and mystery! But I should probably write about what happened with McCoy before I get a riot on my hands. It looks like that's gonna be the next chapter. Don't know when I'll be able to update, though. It might be a couple days... ;)**

**I'm evil and I know it. ;)**


	6. Surprise! Awaited Answers

**A/N: Surprise! I'm uploading two chapters in one day! I really don't want Abibliophobia to riot and explode, or the keep the rest of you hanging terribly. My good side feels guilty. So here is what you've all been waiting for! It puts the 'H' in H/C (just warning y'all). What happened on the planet in Vilsa? Read on and find out... and then review please. Looks like you don't have to wait a couple days.**

**Warning: Not exactly for the faint of heart.**

* * *

_The attack came up quickly. One minute he and Radner were closing up a patient, and the next they were flat on their backs as the whole building shook as if it was a tuning fork._

_ "What in the blazes-! Nurse! Hurry and get the sealant on the windows, we need to keep them intact so the dust doesn't get in the operating room!" While she ran off to do that he finished closing the Nekati and managed to put restraints on him. When the building shook again both he and the patient lurched, but at least the patient remained on the bed._

_ "Doctor!" Radner screamed, sprinting from the windows. "There's-"_

_ There was a violent boom. McCoy couldn't remember much but he found himself halfway across the room. Radner was next to him, coughing violently, though he couldn't hear it. He couldn't hear much of anything aside from the ringing in his ears. Dazedly he looked back across the room. A hole had been torn into the far wall._

_ He tried to get to his feet and only half-succeeded. On his knees, he helped Radner up into a position that eased her coughing. Slowly, his hearing returned._

_ There were figures. They had come through the hole in the wall. They eyed the surgery area and spotted them. "Starfleet! The ship people!"_

_ "Take them."_

_ McCoy only caught the last part, but it was enough. He tried to scramble to his feet but his legs were still shaky. He did manage to get in front of Radner, for all the good it did. They just wrenched him up and then reached for her._

_ Their grips were firm no matter how much they struggled. He was able to leave a shiner on one guy's chin, though. Then they propped him on a truck with a bunch of other Demetrians and kept him there by pointing about 50 guns at his chest. He saw Radner loaded onto another truck, and then a second prisoner was pushed in beside him and they took off._

_ When they left Pentarii, he knew things weren't good. He had no idea where his communicator was; it probably flew off of him when the bomb hit the hospital. He couldn't see Radner anymore. He looked at the prisoner next to him. It was a Nekati… his name escaped him._

_ Further off in the convoy he glimpsed someone shining gold. Hope soared- maybe it was Jim beaming up Radner. That meant they might locate him, too. _

_ He noticed the sky glittering._

_ It occurred to McCoy that they had passed under Vilsa's dampening shield. Well, Jim wouldn't be beaming him up just yet. But he would survive until then._

_ The truck finally stopped at what looked like an old jailhouse. He and the Nekati were ordered out and shoved inside. They walked through close, constricting walls of the labyrinth before stopping in front of a solid door. Someone opened it and they were marched inside the cell._

_ There were several sets of chains along the walls. The Nekati was chained up on one side, while he was chained against the back; they were both sitting down with their arms a bit above them. Apparently, their captors didn't want them too close to each other._

_ There were a few more harsh grunts from the Demetrians before they were left alone. It would've been pitch black were it not for a single, bare light bulb in the middle of the ceiling. McCoy shifted in his chains, testing them out._

_ "Don't expect us to get out by ourselves," the Nekati called. "We'll need outside help to get rid of these cuffs."_

_ McCoy stopped squirming. "How do you know?"_

_ He shrugged. "Standard prison chains. They're made to keep someone in place- literally."_

_ McCoy sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Do you know how long they're going to keep us here?"_

_ "'Fraid not," he said mournfully. "So, I'm Shiak, by the way."_

_ "McCoy."_

_ Shiak nodded his head. "Well, it's nice to meet you, McCoy, despite the unfortunate circumstances."_

_ He snorted. "You got that right."_

_ The door suddenly creaked open. McCoy was surprised that someone was seeing them so quickly. Normally he'd have to wait hours before some alien would show itself, but it had been mere minutes. Three Demetrians walked in, two flanking one. He saw Shiak tense._

_ The middle Demetrian regarded him. At last he spoke. "I have never personally met a human from Starfleet, and am unsure what to make of you. I am informed that you were recovered from a hospital. Are you a doctor?"_

_ "Yes," McCoy said crisply. He watched the Demetrian._

_ "How interesting." He didn't do much else than rock back on his heels._

_ "Tornilv," Shiak hissed._

_ The middle Demetrian turned to him. "Don't say anything," he said indifferently, cutting the Nekati off. "I don't want to hear it."_

_ Shiak was trembling with hatred and anger. "But I will have my say-"_

_ Tornilv took a gun from one of the guards, and shot him._

_ "What the hell!?" McCoy shouted, unbidden, as Shiak's body slumped against the wall. "What was that for? He didn't do anything… to warrant _shooting_ for crying out loud!" he strained against the chains._

_ Tornilv returned the guard's gun and then walked up to McCoy, crouching down so that he was at eye level._

_ "I'll have you know," he said calmly, not the least ruffled. "That I don't like loud people. So watch your tongue."_

_ McCoy's voice quieted, but if anything was more forceful. "You don't go around shooting people because they're noisy! Hell, if everyone did that there'd be no one left! Don't you care?" He glanced back at Shiak. Dead so quickly, so _casually_. "Did you even know his name?"_

_ "Yes," Tornilv said, bored. "He was my brother."_

_ For several moments, all McCoy could do was gape at the man. He was aghast. "Have you no feeling?" he exploded, unable to contain himself. "He was your BROTHER! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"_

_ "Doctor," Tornilv sighed. "Shut up."_

_ And he took out his gun, pressed it to McCoy's forehead, and fired._

_ Click._

_ It took a full ten seconds for McCoy's brain to unravel the mystery that he was still alive. It took him another ten seconds to realize that the gun had merely clicked. Dimly he realized that Tornilv was laughing._

_ "Fun trick, isn't it?" the Demetrian asked, grinning. He spun the cylinder. "Only one bullet in here. The odds constantly changing whether or not it will be in the chamber that fires." He spun it some more as McCoy fought to quell his trembling. The adrenaline rush had been astronomical and he was still trying to come down from it._

_ Abruptly, Tornilv snapped the cylinder back in and fired at McCoy's chest all in one move. McCoy shouted and jerked, before realizing that the gun had only clicked again. Tornilv resumed laughing. He could barely hear it over the blood rushing in his ears from his pounding heart. He was shaking violently now from his stretched nerves._

_ "Not that one," Tornilv sang, so he placed it under his chin and pulled the trigger before McCoy could yank his head away._

_ Click._

_ "God…" McCoy gasped, every sense on overdrive. His mind was still reeling. Suddenly he broke out in a cold sweat and he felt like he couldn't breathe. There was a huge weight on his chest and he couldn't breathe! He wasn't going to get out of here alive. Not with this madman! He was going to die. He could feel himself hyperventilating, and a clinically detached part of his mind wondered if he was going into shock. No, it wasn't shock… he was having a panic attack. Why was he having a panic attack? He'd never had those before. God, he had to get calm, he had to calm himself. He needed to even out his heart rate and control his breathing-_

_ The gun pressed against his temple and there was a "BANG!"_

_ Good God._

_ He didn't know if he passed out or what, but when the room focused again he was barely conscious of anything outside his screaming mind. He was alive. Had the gun gone off? No, no, Tornilv had merely pointed it at him again and shouted 'Bang'. McCoy closed his eyes and took in a shuddering breath. He couldn't take much more of this._

_ Tornilv sat back on his heels and watched him. "Hm," he mused. "Apparently Starfleet men aren't as strong as even the Nekati. This is a lot of fun, but I don't know how long you'll last." He tapped McCoy's knee and the doctor jerked, sucking in a huge breath. "Yeah, you wouldn't last long."_

_ 'God, why?' McCoy wondered, no real thought in it. It'd been maybe several minutes but it felt like several years. He felt raw._

_ One of the guards approached Tornilv and whispered something in his ear. The Demetrian nodded and rose._

_ "Well, Doctor, I'd love to stay, but I don't like other people's small talk and I have things to do. There is a good chance we won't see each other again. In that case, good-bye." He walked to the door with the guards. Then, as if as an afterthought, he turned around and fired his gun._

_ A bullet shot from its muzzle._

_ McCoy yelled and was still shaking when the bullet bounced on his head after striking the stone wall high above him. The door closed, though Tornilv's laugh still seemed to linger in the room._

_ God, he was too old for this. He slumped against the back wall and tried to stop shaking. He tried and tried and couldn't and it frustrated him, infuriated him that Tornilv could wield power over him that easily. He tried not to look over at Shiak. McCoy closed his eyes and tried some more to calm himself. He was alive. He lived, and he had been through worse. He'd been threatened and tortured before. Why was this so devastating?_

_ McCoy gritted his teeth. 'Dammit, man get a hold of yourself. So you just went through a round of Russian Roulette. You can add that to your list of interesting experiences. Just calm that heart rate…' damn, just _what_ had him so worked up?_

_ The _simplicity_ the _casualness. _Normally, aliens toyed with them, let them know they were going to die. Tornilv had a cruelty unsurpassed. He shot his own brother without a backwards glance! And then BAM! McCoy's life could've ended just like that. No warning. Whatsoever. That bothered him, and he raged that it frightened him so much._

_ What kind of a man could kill like that? Didn't Tornilv care?_

_ Those two thoughts wouldn't leave him. He was angry at Tornilv's disregard for life, and angry at himself for completely freaking out. Dammit, you've been through worse, you've been through worse and you survived it…_

_ Some time later, Carimend's men burst into his lonely cell._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, so I'm back! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been busy and working on my video (it's really coming along!) Besides that, I needed to think up of where to go after that last chapter. I was still fresh out of ideas when I sat down to write this, but figured if I just started typing something would magically appear. And something has! As a result it may be a little rough, but the end is now in sight. Enjoy!**

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"Should you contact your command, Carimend?" Tornilv began smoothly as they settled into the admiral's tent. "Let them know that this is occurring?"

"Word spreads quickly. We'll see how this turns out and then go from there." The admiral's voice was tight.

"Very well." Tornilv smiled charmingly as he looked across at the Nekati. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were seated on a third side, between the two. "We shall lay down terms first, and proceed with negotiating from what we offer."

"Alright."

"The advance on Pentarii will cease as long as the Demetrian border is drawn at its city limits," Tornilv stated simply.

"Unacceptable, the border between Demet and Nekat stays where it is," Carimend said.

"But the border has been moved since the war," Tornilv countered. "It is now closer to Vilsa. We have lost some of our land."

"So you want to give Demet more land while making Nekat lose some?" Carimend scoffed.

"If you'll recall, Nekat is the one that started this whole affair," the Demetrian said dryly. "And it isn't much to move the border slightly." He leaned forward. "You have to admit, I am making a very small, reasonable offer."

McCoy raised his head. Suddenly the whole situation sounded wrong. Carimend glanced at the Starfleet men. "I would like to… confer in private for a moment. To think."

"Very well," Tornilv purred.

The four of them moved to the back of the tent. "My hands are tied for much negotiating," Carimend confessed. "The bomb destroyed our main communications back at command so you're the closest I have to authority higher than me. If we settle the battle between Vilsa and Pentarii it could lead to declaring armistice throughout all fronts. But he's right in his demands… it's not that bad to give Demet a little more land…"

"Bullshit," McCoy said, surprising everyone. "This isn't out of Tornilv's good will. He's probably got _his_ high command breathing down his neck to settle this truce. Carimend, you can keep pushing for the borders to stay where they are, or where they were before this started. Push until it gives, Tornilv will _have_ to accept, if he gives a damn about command central!"

"Doctor, we do not know if Tornilv is operating under orders," Spock said.

McCoy leveled him with a look. "I bet the odds are well over 90% that he is."

"More like 61.2 %," Spock informed him.

"For _now_, Spock, but you don't have all the factors!" McCoy whipped back to Carimend. "Don't back down. Believe me when I tell you Tornilv ain't doing this out of the goodness of his heart." The last part was practically spat.

"Are you sure?" Carimend asked.

McCoy's face was stony. "Definitely."

Kirk watched all of this silently. He filed it away for later.

Carimend returned and remained standing, glaring down at Tornilv. "The borders will stay where they were before the war. That is the final offer. We will accept nothing else."

"But surely, this hardly seems fair," Tornilv started.

"Shut up!" McCoy snapped. Heads turned. "It's fairest and you know it! Or don't pretend that you don't have commanders hassling you to close this agreement."

Tornilv's calm façade finally cracked. "Don't concern yourself with those matters," he said hotly, rising.

"But it was a fairly important detail to leave out, wasn't it?" McCoy took a step forward, fists clenched and Kirk vaguely wondered if he was going to hit him. "You probably knew if the Nekat officials heard of a deal they'd be pressuring Carimend to accept it and get your first offer. Now, it's known that Demet is riding behind all of this and _not_ just two cities of opposite countries. The borders will stay!"

"They can't!" Tornilv shouted back. "They must change!"

"_Dammit, man!_" McCoy thundered, temper boiling to full force. "This isn't about what _you_ friggin' want! Both nations are tired of this jazz, so _just close the deal!_"

"NO!" Tornilv was shaking visibly. "Nekat must pay for all its unwarranted atrocities! We need to repay all that it did to us! This can't be over! We need to _destroy them!_"

Everyone in the tent was on their feet now. Some members of the Demetrian delegation started shouting at Tornilv and creeping over to whisper with Carimend's men. Tornilv suddenly shrieked and launched himself at McCoy-

-who quickly landed a deadly right hook across Tornilv's face.

Kirk visibly winced, but the blow served to shake him out of his shock at the situation. The two men were fighting openly on the floor. The roar from shouting people was a ringing din around them, but suddenly Spock appeared and delivered a quick pinch to the juncture of Tornilv's neck. He instantly collapsed and McCoy took a step back, chest heaving.

Two Demetrians instantly appeared and dragged their unconscious leader away. A third stepped forward and approached Carimend and the officers.

"Our apologies," he said. "This was quite… unexpected. He will be dealt with most severely. As for the offer to maintain the original borders, the rest of us are fine with it. We are sure that our command officials will agree. It will be nice to have things back the way they were."

"Yes," Carimend said, still a bit dazed at the sudden turn of events.

"With your permission, we will head back to Vilsa and transmit the good news."

"Of course, naturally," Carimend returned to his senses. "I shall inform my troops and continue trying to contact Nekat command."

The Demetrian grinned. "Thank you." He bowed, and turned back to where the other members were handling Tornilv. A look of intense distaste crossed his face.

Kirk approached McCoy. "Bones," he said, looking around the busy tent where people shook hands and signed papers. "I'm always amazed at your diplomatic powers."

McCoy snorted. "Yeah." He flexed his fists and checked the knuckles on his right hand. A few were bleeding from cracking open against Tornilv's face. Still, he relished the satisfaction. "But that idiot had it coming."

Kirk was well aware that they had both come across several idiots in their time. He also knew that McCoy had enough self-restraint to not deck every one of them. He was definitely curious why Tornilv in particular had the doctor so riled up.

Spock approached them, surveying the former battleground. "Doubtless, Starfleet will need to be informed of the occurrences here."

McCoy groaned. "Spock, is that all you ever think about? Reports? Oh, this won't be good for my record…"

"Perhaps, Doctor." Kirk suddenly caught a glint in Spock's eye. "Some details can be left out… provided that you duly inform us of your experiences earlier on Shekk."

McCoy looked between them. Spock looked smug. Kirk had on his 'I'm innocent' face.

"I suppose after that show an explanation is a bit warranted," he relented. He didn't miss Kirk's quick grin. "But let's at least finish up in Pentarii and get back to the ship."

Kirk slung an arm around his shoulders as the three of them exited the tent. "Sure thing, Bones."

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**Well, that takes care of the Adventure, now on to the H/C! I love it when diplomatic problems are solved by punching somebody... slightly wish Congress would do that. You know, fight then make up?**

**Please review! And happy Veterans' Day! (salutes veterans)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the last chapter! It's full of H/C and warm fluff! As a result, at times the characters MIGHT be a little OOC. But I tried to proceed logically. Thanks to Abibliophobia, Pokemon67, mtcbones, 2Trek, Minecraft Guardiansaiyan, and everyone else for reviewing! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this!**

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It was well into the next day before all three of them found time to meet. Kirk and Spock originally planned on catching the doctor in his quarters, however agreed that that would seem like they were too pressing. Instead, they gathered in Kirk's quarters, because not everyone could stand the heat in Spock's for too long. They'd been waiting in for about ten minutes before the door buzzed and let McCoy in.

"I hope you've got your brandy, Jim, we're gonna need it." McCoy plopped down into the nearest chair as he spoke and returned Spock's look. "Well, not everyone is as objective and unemotional as you. This rattled my bones."

"Well, then let's stop them from rattling," Kirk said, grinning. "Bones."

McCoy snorted at the pun. "You and nicknames," he grumbled.

Kirk handed him glass and McCoy promptly downed it. Spock raised an eyebrow and McCoy glared at him. "I just went off-duty, and Chapel's kicked me out of Sickbay for the next six hours. I can damn well have a drink, Mr. Spock."

"I am merely observing the behavior, Doctor. I am not commenting on it."

"Good." McCoy drained some more of his glass and looked to where Kirk was sitting on another chair and Spock was standing near a wall. He waved a hand. "Sit down, Spock. You stand any straighter you're gonna break your back. Now go on, sit down. If you want me to talk you've got to sit."

Hesitantly, Spock procured another chair and sat in it. McCoy drank some more brandy, and when he was done he sighed. "Tornilv and I had met before."

When he didn't continue Kirk prompted "in Vilsa?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah… in Vilsa." His gaze unfocused for a little bit and then he leveled a piercing blue stare at them. "Did you know Shiak was his brother?"

Kirk put the names together in his mind. "Shiak was Tornilv's brother? What, did Tornilv shoot him?"

"Yup." McCoy threw his head back and finished his brandy. "Shot him for talking too much. Just walked in, Shiak got angry, opened his mouth, and Tornilv shot him. Without so much as a warning."

Kirk could feel for him. He understood what it was like to see someone murdered in cold blood before your eyes. McCoy's compassionate nature would make it especially hard. "Why didn't you say anything, Bones?"

The doctor fixed him with a look. "I'm saying something _now_ if you would let me finish!"

"There's more?"

"Damn right there's more!" A sprinkling of anger and distaste filtered through his words. "I'm gonna need brandy for this, Jim."

Kirk refilled his glass and McCoy drank a lot of it, slowly, before putting it down. When he swallowed his next words all came out in a rush.

"After that, Tornilv walked over to where I was shouting my head off at him because, after all, he'd just killed his own Goddamn brother! So he crouches down to me and I'm still raising all fury and talks about how he doesn't like loud people and that I'd better shut up, only I didn't, so he takes out his own gun- cuz you see he killed Shiak with a guard's gun- so he takes out his gun and then we played a few rounds of Russian Roulette." He stopped abruptly, staring into his drink.

Kirk felt his insides grow cold. "What?"

"Don't make me repeat it, Jim," McCoy said softly.

Spock leaned forward, hands pointed with the fingertips touching. "Just how many rounds did you… go through?"

McCoy thought for a moment, counting in his head. His hand automatically traveled to the various points on his person, and Kirk's guts just twisted tighter. "Four."

Four rounds? "Bones…" he trailed.

McCoy finished the rest of his brandy. "Head shot, chest, under the chin, and temple. Then something came up, I'm assuming it was the counterattack, and he had to leave. But not before he fired a fifth time resulting in a bullet."

Kirk felt himself growing angry, no longer questioning McCoy's odd behavior when he had beamed aboard. "Where did it hit?"

"The wall above me," McCoy said. "Bounced on top of my noggin." He rapped his knuckles on his skull.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kirk asked. He felt slightly numb, and wished he had joined Bones in punching Tornilv's lights out.

"What could I say?" McCoy retorted, agitated. "I could barely think straight! My nerves were torn to shreds and I wanted some time to cool off first. But then y'all had to go around houndin' me for a damn report even though I wanted to be more clear of mind-" as always, his accent got thicker.

"Doctor," Spock said. "You performed surgery on two lieutenants after beaming back… would you not have been operating under emotional duress?"

McCoy just gaped at him. "Are you suggesting that I performed surgery while compromised?" he hissed. Before Spock could reply he continued. "Dammit, Spock, I'm a doctor! My work is what grounds me! I just had to watch a man die while being unable to do a damn thing about it- I certainly wasn't going to let that happen again! And I'll have you know that they're both back on light duty, now. I've had to work under extreme stress before, what with you two always gettin' into scrapes. This wasn't any different! Gosh, you pointy-eared bastard, first you want me to talk about what happened, then you turn it right back over saying I was performing surgery while compromised you-!" At this point Kirk was up on his feet calming the doctor's tirade.

"Bones, Bones nobody's suggesting anything," he said.

McCoy pointed around Kirk. "He is!"

"Doctor, I was merely trying to establish certain facts," Spock said.

"Any reason you wanted to be _certain_ of that one?" he grumbled hotly. Kirk eased him back into his chair and stepped back.

"None in particular, Doctor. I am, however, constantly reevaluating your unsurpassed skill in operating under duress."

McCoy looked like he was about to say something, then shut his mouth. He turned to Kirk with wide eyes. "Jim, did he just give me a compliment?"

Kirk resisted a chuckle, but a smile reached his cheeks. "Yes, Bones, I believe he did."

McCoy huffed and grumbled something about surprising Vulcans. He then sighed. "Anyway, there you have it."

"You could've come to us sooner," Kirk said. "If you need help with anything, Spock and I are both here."

The doctor sighed again. "Thank you, Jim, but how exactly could I? It's not exactly professional to put on a report that you were just," his voice dropped to a mumble. "Plain scared."

"The matter does not need to spoken of on a professional basis," Spock said smoothly. "Jim and I are your friends."

"And there's nothing wrong with being scared," Kirk added.

McCoy studied his shoes a bit more then looked away. "Jim, I had a panic attack."

"What?" The doctor had spoken so quietly Kirk scarcely caught it. Spock's hearing picked it up right away, though.

"I had a panic attack down there. Somewhere between the third and fourth bullets." He still wasn't meeting anyone's eyes. "I don't know- it just came over me. What with Tornilv laughing and shouting 'Bang!' and the muzzle always in my face… it just suddenly happened."

Jim didn't know what to say. Yet Bones had clearly been shaken to the core. So he did the only thing he could think of.

Swiftly walking over to the forlorn doctor, he pulled him up and hugged him.

There was a muffled sound of surprise from McCoy, but Kirk didn't release his grip. Soon enough McCoy seemed to melt, releasing the built-up tension from the experience. Kirk still didn't let go and eyed where Spock was standing. A battle of silent cues and demands ensued, which resulted in Spock stepping over and, raising a very hesitant hand, awkwardly patting McCoy's shoulder.

After another moment McCoy broke free and eyed them. "Alright, that's enough sentiment. Spock? I'm sure you feel ants crawling over your skin."

Surprised, Spock looked down at his hand. McCoy waved off his confused look. "An expression, Spock. But this probably is too much emotion for your taste, I gather?"

"It is-" Spock paused. "Odd. But, beneficial." He fixed McCoy with a firm look.

McCoy just got that twinkle in his eyes. "For you and me both."

"Well, gentlemen," Kirk said, though even he was smiling. "I suppose this has been a rather productive evening. I think the best way to round it out would be to saunter over to the mess hall and enjoy a hearty meal for three."

McCoy shook his head. "As hearty as replicators can get."

"They provide the nutrition required for a healthy lifestyle," Spock commented.

"_If_ their food is eaten," McCoy said. "Jim, I don't expect Spock to eat all the vegetables."

Kirk glanced at them sheepishly, and the three friends, feeling much better, left the room.

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**It's done! I've never written H/C before, so I'm curious to know how it turned out. Also, I threw in some hugs for you, Minecraft Guardiansaiyan! ;) If I have any loose ends, please let me know! Bless y'all!**


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